News

On December 7th news agency “Glavcom ” held the press conference with Oleksandr Sushko (Scientific Director of the Institute for Euro-Atlantic Cooperation), Valeriy Chaly (Deputy Director General of the Razumkov Center) and Alyona Getmanchuk (Director of the Insitute of World Policy).During the press conference, the letter with an appeal to the leadership of the EU to sign the Association Agreement in 2013 was released.

Below, we propose to your attention the letter of appeal

Herman Van Rompuy
President of the European Council
Jose Manuel Barroso
President of the European Commission
Martin Schulz
President of the European Parliament
Catherine Ashton
High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy
Erato Kozakou-Marcoullis
President of the Council of the European Union, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Cyprus

The Association Agreement between the EU and Ukraine must be signed

Ukraine has never been so close and at the same time so far from the breakthrough on its way of European integration. The country has closely approached the signing of the Association Agreement with the EU after long and difficult negotiation process was finally completed. The demand for change and European choice is growing in Ukrainian society. However, the Association Agreement is the subject of serious debate because, at the highest level, the official dialogue between Kyiv and Brussels is marked by the deep confidence crisis.

Today, Ukraine experiences negative developments on international and domestic political arena, but nothing can affect political stability, economic prosperity and the European perspective of the country as much as postponing the signing of the Association Agreement with the EU. As citizens of Ukraine, we strongly condemn regress in democratic standards and weakening the rule of law in our country. We welcome the principled position of the EU as a reliable and open partner that exercises value-based policies.

We also fully share concerns of the EU. Obviously, stopping politically motivated selective justice, correcting shortcomings that affected the parliamentary elections and their results in 2012, and implementing reforms under Association Agenda remain key issues and require immediate steps for solving them. At the same time, we are also aware that the European vector of Ukraine is under growing threat.

At this difficult time, it is crucial to understand that the risks of not signing the Agreement are more serious than the risks related to its signing and implementation. Currently, opponents of the Agreement, both in Ukraine and abroad, are eager to torpedo the Agreement with the hands of the EU in order to gain an opportunity to manipulatively accuse the EU of unwillingness to take a step toward Ukraine. Ukranian society needs the Association Agreement much more than its authorities.

In this crucial moment, we urge the European Union and its Member States to manifest solidarity with the Ukrainian people, to bring support and demonstrate the far-reaching thinking, giving Ukraine the prospect of the European future. We urge the EU and its Member States to sign the 2013 Association Agreement, creating this additional lever to ensure the irreversibility of Ukraine’s European choice. In turn, as representatives of the civil society and expert community, we are ready to initiate, engage in and conduct activities that will contribute to the implementation of the Agreement, the introduction of mechanisms for civic monitoring of its implementation, and hence the development of a democratic, European Ukraine.

Alyona GETMANCHUK,
Director of the Institute of World Policy

Oleksandr SUSHKO,
Research Director of the Institute for Euro-Atlantic cooperation, National Coordinator of the Ukrainian National Platform for the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum

Valeriy CHALYI,
Deputy Director General of the Razumkov Center, Chairman of Civic Expert Council at the Ukrainian Part of the EU-Ukraine Cooperation Committee